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MARS screens award-winning short "Afuera"

October 16, 2016

The MARS Screening Series hosted a showing of "Afuera" a short film directed by Steven Liang. The film follows a day in the life of an undocumented transgender woman who is forced to resort to the sex trade to support herself. Afuera was a 2016 official selection at: LA Film Festival (World Premiere), Palm Springs ShortFest, NBC ShortFest, Outfest, Frameline, and the Woodstock Film Festival.

Per Steven Liang: "I made Afuera to explore the intersection between the immigrant and transgender experiences, and the resilience of this community. As a gay man of color from a working-class, immigrant family, I understand deeply the complexity of identity, and I want to explore these characters in a way that is authentic and universal. My goal is to discover and empower new transgender talent of color, as well as illuminate their specific plight. Caitlyn Jenner, Laverne Cox, and Jill Soloway were instrumental in bringing transgender narratives into the mainstream. However, the stories of undocumented transgender women are virtually invisible. Afuera helps raise awareness, while at the same time, humanizes the undocumented-trans experience."